Page 638 - sons-and-lovers

fice herself. But dare she assert herself? She was aware of
his dark-clothed, slender body, that seemed one stroke of
life, sprawled in the chair close to her. But no; she dared
not put her arms round it, take it up, and say, ‘It is mine,
this body. Leave it to me.’ And she wanted to. It called to
all her woman’s instinct. But she crouched, and dared not.
She was afraid he would not let her. She was afraid it was
too much. It lay there, his body, abandoned. She knew she
ought to take it up and claim it, and claim every right to it.
But—could she do it? Her impotence before him, before the
strong demand of some unknown thing in him, was her ex-
tremity. Her hands fluttered; she half-lifted her head. Her
eyes, shuddering, appealing, gone, almost distracted, plead-
ed to him suddenly. His heart caught with pity. He took her
hands, drew her to him, and comforted her.
‘Will you have me, to marry me?’ he said very low.
Oh, why did not he take her? Her very soul belonged to
him. Why would he not take what was his? She had borne so
long the cruelty of belonging to him and not being claimed
by him. Now he was straining her again. It was too much
for her. She drew back her head, held his face between her
hands, and looked him in the eyes. No, he was hard. He
wanted something else. She pleaded to him with all her love
not to make it her choice. She could not cope with it, with
him, she knew not with what. But it strained her till she felt
she would break.
‘Do you want it?’ she asked, very gravely.
‘Not much,’ he replied, with pain.
She turned her face aside; then, raising herself with dig-